I Always Knew
by eleven521
Summary: R/Hr. AU as of DH. Hermione left Ron and now she is back, alone, with a child and pregnant again.
1. Prologue

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PROLOGUE

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AUTHOR'S NOTE I'm not exactly new to fan fiction, but this is my first story in a very, very long time. All comments are appreciated.

DISCLAIMER Harry Potter is not mine. It belongs to J.K. Rowling.

It was late, almost midnight, when the woman stepped from her front door and onto the porch. The wind blew softly as she pulled her sweater tightly around her frail figure. She sighed and sat down on the first, sagging porch step. It groaned in protest, even under her weight. She pulled a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lit one. As she took the first drag, she felt another tear roll down her cheek. She didn't bother to wipe this one away. After all, it wouldn't be the last.

The sudden creak of wood startled her, and she almost dropped her cigarette. She was scared to turn, fearful it was him. She sat completely still, preparing herself for another hit, another slap, another kick. But none came. There was silence for several minutes, even the wind had stopped. Until finally, there was a whimper.

"Mommy?" a little girl of only four asked. The woman closed her eyes, fighting back more tears. She turned her head and forced a smile as she took in her daughter.

"Oh, Chloe, come here, sweetie." The young girl's face was red and blotchy with tears. "Why aren't you asleep, sweetheart?"

"I--I couldn't, Mommy. I heard you and Daddy." The woman didn't say a word. She wanted to comfort her daughter, but she did not know how. The fighting had gone on for too long, and Chloe was no stranger to it.

"It will be okay this time," the woman finally replied. "This time, I promise."

Chloe gave her mother a look, which clearly said she did not believe her. How many times had her mother made this same promise? And how many times had they stayed? But, Chloe did not say a word. She simply sat down next to her mother and placed a hand on the woman's swelling belly.

"You hear that, baby?" Chloe said. "Mommy promises."

And with that, Hermione Granger knew that this time, she could not break her daughter's heart.

* * *

Hermione's life was not supposed to turn out the way it had. After winning the war against Lord Voldemort at the age of eighteen, her life was supposed to become a happily ever after. Her best friends, Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were getting married, and she had begun dating her other best friend and longtime crush, Ronald Weasley. And for a couple months, everything was perfect. Until Hermione made the biggest mistake of her life.

It was no secret that Ron's greatest ambition was to become a Quidditch star. So naturally, when his favorite team, the Chudley Cannons, asked him to become their new Keeper, he did not have to think twice. Quidditch season was in full swing, and since Ron had missed summer training, he was out on the field practicing from sun up to sun down. This did not bother Hermione at first. She had her own things to sort out, with studying for her N.E.W.T.s and preparation to study Arithmancy afterwards. But, once her N.E.W.T.s were taken, Hermione was at a lost for what to do. The nights were lonely for her. Harry and Ginny were traveling Europe on their honeymoon and Ron did not get in until after midnight most nights. On his one and only day off, Sunday, he was too tired from the week before to do anything but lay in bed and sleep.

It was never intentional. She had gone to the pub for an innocent drink. She did not know that there, she would run into Terry Boot, nor that he would charm her the way he had. A couple of firewhiskeys later, Hermione was a little more than drunk, and she wasn't turning down Terry's advances. That was how she ended up in his apartment the first time. When she woke up the next morning, she could not believe what she had done and promptly left. But, within the next couple of weeks, Terry was paying more attention to her than Ron had in her entire lifetime, and Hermione liked it. A couple of dozen roses later, a bottle of wine, and the promise of forever was what landed Hermione in his apartment the second time. It also landed her with an unwanted pregnancy.

When Hermione first discovered she was pregnant, she tried to convince herself it was Ron's child. But, she knew deep down it wasn't. They hadn't done anything remotely sexual since the summer and therefore, there was no way he was the father. She was at a loss, and decided Terry was the only person she could turn to. She did not want to bother Harry and Ginny in France, or Italy, or wherever they were. Going to Mrs. Weasley would only get her a guilt trip. And, she hadn't seen nor spoken to her own parents since she told them the truth about her last year at Hogwarts.

Terry was ecstatic when Hermione told him she was carrying his child. So much so, it surprised Hermione. And, in less than an hour, Terry had convinced her to leave the love of her life and her whole childhood behind and start a new life with him in Ireland. That night, Hermione waited for three hours for Ron to return home to tell him she was leaving. When he finally did open the door to their flat, he waved her off and told her he was too tired, and they would talk in the morning. Brushing her off made it that much easier for Hermione to convince herself she was doing the right thing. She began her letter and in ten minutes, she was gone.

* * *

The first two years of her life with Terry was truly the fairy tale Hermione had always dreamed off. The birth of their daughter, Chloe Renee Boot, added to the happiness of their perfect little family. They had moved into a quaint little cottage square in the middle of a small Muggle village. Terry was commuting to the Irish Ministry of Magic for his job as the Head of the Sports Department, and Hermione had chosen to take a year off to take care of Chloe. Life was wonderful during that time. But, then, just as Hermione was to go back to school, Terry lost his job, and the drinking began.

Hermione had done everything in her power to help Terry. She gave up her dream of university to help him find another job. But, for some reason, Terry could not secure a stable job within the Wizarding community, back in England or in Ireland. When he finally settled on a low paying Muggle job, they had been forced from their perfect home in the perfect neighborhood and were now living in a rundown, two bedroom shack on the outskirts of town. Hermione knew that Terry hated their new life. It wasn't as if she enjoyed it either, but Hermione tried to make the best of it. But Hermione's best was not enough for Terry, and he showed her just how unhappy he was one night when he struck her.

Hermione had attempted to fight back, but she was no match for her husband. And, she was without a wand. Terry had taken both his and hers and locked them in a trunk when he had been shunned from the Wizarding world. That night he left her trembling in a corner, baby Chloe screaming in her crib in the other room. That was the beginning of Hermione's nightmare. The same nightmare she had promised her daughter she would end countless times.

* * *

The next morning, after Terry had left for his dead end job, Hermione went to the closet where Terry kept the old trunk that contained their wands and anything else related to magic. He had the key, and Hermione stood staring at it for several moments, desperate to get it open. _I never realized how helpful 'Alohomora' is_, she mused. And suddenly, the lock clicked and the lid sprung open. _What the hell? _Had she just preformed wandless magic? At the moment, however, Hermione did not care. She grabbed her wand and the satchel of Wizarding gold. She looked at Terry's wand for a moment, and then without much thought, she snapped it in two. She could not take any chances.

With her wand back in her hand, Hermione quickly packed a suitcase and shrunk it down to fit into the bag. Then, she practically ran into Chloe's room and shook her awake. "Come on, sweetie," Hermione cooed. "We're leaving."

"Wha--?" Chloe asked, as she rubbed her eyes.

"I promised you, Chloe. I'm getting us out of here."

"But, Mommy?"

"No questions, Chloe, please. We have to hurry. I don't know when Daddy will be back. I don't know if he actually went to work this morning or not."

As Chloe was getting dressed, Hermione packed as much of Chloe's things as she could. She didn't have much in the first place, and Hermione knew that every toy meant something to her daughter. Chloe was trying to tie her shoes and Hermione shrunk her suitcase down and placed it next to hers in the bag. Chloe stared at her mother in disbelief. It was no wonder, though. Although Chloe knew her and her parents were special, she had never actually seen the magic performed.

"Come on," Hermione urged, taking her daughter's hand.

"Where are we going, Mommy?"

"Somewhere where you'll never be hurt again."


	2. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

_AUTHOR'S NOTE_ Thank you all for all the positive feedback. This was a very fast update because I already had a couple chapters written. If I get the third chapter finished tonight, you might have Chapter Two tomorrow. However, this will probably be a weekly update story. Anyways, as always, please review. This story got almost 200 hits and that makes me very happy. Yet, I would be **happier** if I had a couple more reviews, good or bad, just so I know what my readers think. :) Anyways, enjoy!

_DISCLAIMER_ JKR owns Harry Potter and all his friends. I own a cat.

* * *

Ginny Potter was exhausted. She had just pulled a double shift at St. Mungo's and knew that she would not get a chance to sleep until later in the afternoon. As she turned the key in the lock, she heard the screams of "I don't wanna" and smiled to herself. She knew that inside, her husband, Harry Potter, was attempting to feed their two year old daughter, Aria. Aria was the poster child for the terrible twos and was currently refusing to eat anything that was good for her. She wanted sweets morning, noon, and night, so naturally, feeding time was always an adventure.

"Hey, Honey," Ginny called as she stepped into the foyer. Sure enough, Aria was strapped into the highchair, Harry sitting in a chair in front of her. Teddy, Harry's godson, who Harry and Ginny had adopted shortly after their marriage, was sitting opposite Harry, eating a bowl of cereal.

"Hello," he replied, somewhat wearily. Ginny stifled a laugh.

"Mama!" Aria squealed.

"Hello, beautiful," Ginny said, making her way into the kitchen and kissing her daughter on the forehead. She walked over to Teddy and ruffled his hair, "Hey, Kiddo." Teddy smiled, his two front teeth missing. "How is everything?" Ginny directed at Harry.

"Absolutely wonderful," Harry answered sarcastically. He kissed his wife and smiled. "Your turn?" Ginny laughed.

"Are you kidding me?" She took a seat at the kitchen table and began to remove her shoes. "Are you working today?"

"No, Adams is working this weekend for me because he is going out of town next weekend or something and needed someone to cover. I figured we were long overdue for some quality family time, so I accepted. I figured I would go with you to Mum and Dad's. I haven't seen everyone in a while."

"Good, I--" Ginny began, but before she could finish her thought, there was a knock on the door. "Who in the world could that be?"

"Is Ron supposed to come over?"

"I'm not sure. He mentioned something about maybe going to the Burrow with me, but we never decided anything. I'll go get it."

"No, I got it," Harry said, handing Ginny the bowl of cereal he had been trying to feed Aria. Aria was now too occupied with the cereal that had dropped on her high chair to care about what her parents were doing. Teddy had stood up, taking over as the older brother and began to clean up the mess. Ginny got up and stood in the doorway as she watched Harry make his way to the front door. "Who is it?"

Ginny only heard a muffled response and then Harry unlocked the door. She took another step forward to get a better look at their caller. It was a woman, about her age. She was tiny, with curly brown hair and pale skin. Because of her size, Ginny was surprised to see the woman was pregnant. She wondered how someone of that size could hold a child. Then, Ginny noticed the girl standing next to the woman, holding her hand tightly. Like the woman, she girl had brown curly hair and large brown eyes. She seemed to be around four or five. Ginny was confused. Who was this woman? And what was she doing at their house?

"Harry?" The woman asked. Ginny could see her husband give the woman a quizzical look. "It's me, Harry."

"Hermione?" Harry whispered and the woman nodded. Then, there was a loud clank. Ginny had dropped the bowl of cereal. The noise caused the woman to jump.

"Ginny?" Hermione was looking at Ginny now, but she was speechless. She managed a nod, and Hermione gave a weak smile. "I've missed you two so much." With that, she dropped the little girl's hand and threw her arms around Harry's neck. He was obviously taken aback, but he put his arms around her nonetheless. Hermione held on for several seconds before releasing Harry and taking the girl's hand again.

Harry lead Hermione into the house without a word. Aria had begun to cry and Ginny had gone to quiet her. Once Ginny had calmed Aria down, she picked her up and made her way into the living room, Teddy in tow, where Harry had conjured a cup of tea and a glass of milk. They were not talking, but as Ginny sat down, Hermione looked up and gave her first genuine smile.

"Where have you been, Hermione?" Ginny blurted. She was always one to get straight to the point. Harry shot her a pointed look, but Hermione interjected.

"No, it's okay. I owe you an explanation. I was in Ireland."

"Why did you leave?"

Hermione hesitated for a moment. She didn't fancy telling the story in front of Chloe, so instead, she introduced her daughter. "Well, first of all, this is my daughter, Chloe."

"Hello, Chloe," Harry replied, and Ginny gave the girl a smile.

With a little coaxing from her mother, Chloe let out a shy hello and then hid her face behind Hermione's arm.

"Second of all, if you don't mind, is there a place where she can go play while we talk?"

"Yeah," Ginny said. "She can go back to Teddy's room and play with him and Aria. Would you like that Chloe?" Chloe nodded and followed Ginny to the back. Harry and Hermione sat in silence until Ginny returned.

"Anyways, Hermione," Ginny started. "What happened?"

"Well, the truth--" she began, and took a deep breath. "I cheated on Ron." Both Ginny and Harry sat in silent disbelief. "I never really thought about why I did it. The lame excuse- I was lonely and selfish. I didn't think about my actions-- or the consequences. Ron pretty much ignored me when he came home from Quidditch and one night, I went out for a drink. And I met this guy. I went home with him that first night and when I woke up, I immediately regretted what I had done. But every day for two weeks after, he showered me with attention. And I liked it. So, I went back, and that's when I got pregnant."

"Chloe?" Harry asked. Hermione nodded.

"Hermione?" Ginny whispered. "Who was the guy?"

"Terry Boot."

"Terry Boot?" Harry's jaw had dropped. Seeing the look in Harry's eyes made Hermione feel even lower than she already did. She did not say a word.

"It's okay," Harry finally said lamely. Hermione knew he didn't mean it.

"No, it's not," Hermione replied. "I should have never done what I did. It was wrong. When I told Terry, he was so happy. He told me that we were meant to be together, and being pregnant proved it. He asked me to go to Ireland with him and we would start a family. The night I left, I tried telling Ron. I guess deep down, I had hoped he would talk me out of it and tell me how much he wanted me to stay with him. But, when he walked in the door, he waved me off and told me we would talk in the morning. That made things worse. So, instead, I wrote him a note--"

"Yeah," Ginny interrupted. "We saw it. A little harsh, Hermione."

"I know. But can you imagine how bad I felt after that?"

"Horrible," Harry supplied.

"Worse." Hermione took a sip of her tea. "Anyways, things with Terry were amazing in the beginning. I had Chloe and Terry was a wonderful father. I was in love. But, then, Terry was pushed from the Wizarding world-- I still do not know what for." Hermione saw Harry start to say something, but Ginny placed her hand on his leg and shot him a look. Hermione gave them both a quizzical look, but continued. "For months he was out of work. That's when the beatings started."

"The what?" Harry all but yelled as he stood. "Hermione, what did that bastard do to you? I'll kill him."

Hermione dropped her head, trying to fight the tears. She felt someone sit beside her, and felt their arms wrap around her. "Hermione," Ginny said. And then she pulled back Hermione's sweater to reveal her arms. They were covered in bruises from the night before when Terry had swung her around. "Oh my God."

Harry sat on Hermione's other side. "I'll kill him," he repeated.

"No," Hermione protested. "If you go to him, he'll know where I went." And then she broke down in tears. "Last night," she sobbed, "he was blaming me for all our troubles. Said he was ashamed of me and that Chloe was the biggest mistake of his life. Then he denied that he was the father of her and the baby I'm carrying. Called me a whore. 'Once a cheater, always a cheater,' he said. And, then, when it was over, he passed out. Chloe had woken up and heard it all. I promised her I would get her out of there. But, Merlin knows how many times I have made that promise. Then, she placed her hands on my stomach--" Here, Hermione grabbed Ginny's hand and placed it on her belly. "--and told the baby that Mommy was going to get them out. After that, I knew I had to leave. I'm sorry I came to you, but I didn't know where else to turn." At the end of her story, Hermione dropped her head in her hands and cried. Harry exchanged a look with his wife.

When Hermione had left all those years ago, neither Harry nor Ginny imagined this fate. They felt sure Hermione had left to become a famous whatever in some far away country and that she was far to busy to contact them. They never blamed her, only disappointed that she never really said good-bye. But now, having their best friend back, a victim of abuse at the hands of her own husband, it was a little much to handle. Silently, Ginny helped Hermione stand and lead her to the guest bedroom. Harry went to check on Chloe and Aria. He knew it was going to be a long day.

* * *

Ronald Weasley was in an unusually good mood. He didn't really understand it. He had just woken up and bam! there was an instant smile on his face. Maybe it was because he had a whole two weeks off. No practice, no games, nothing. He planned to spend the weekend with his family-- whom he had not seen in nearly a month-- and sleep as much as he could. Being a star Quidditch player didn't leave much time for family or sleep. Not that he was complaining. In the last couple of years, he had made enough money to live in an upscale Wizarding neighbor and refurnish and upgrade the Burrow for his parents.

He shivered slightly as he walked up to his sister and brother-in-law's house. He had plans to go to his parents' house with his little sister, his niece, and his nephew. He pulled his jacket around him and knocked on the front door. It took a couple of minutes, but Ron heard the lock click and a moment later, Harry's face came into view.

"Ron!" He exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Ginny and I are supposed to be going to the Burrow together." Ron couldn't understand his best friend's shock. Was he suddenly unwelcome?

"Oh," Harry replied. "Um… well… Ginny's not feeling too well."

"I see. Well, do you mind if I come in for a minute? It's kind of chilly out here."

"No!" Harry hesitated. "She's-- uh, she's-- it's that time of the month," he lied.

"So?" Ron rolled his eyes and pushed pass Harry. "Like I've never dealt with her being a bitch before. Ha!" He made his way into the living room and sat down in the armchair. "How ya been, Harry?"

"I've been good," Harry said, he eyes darting toward the hallway. He sighed and sat opposite Ron. They had barely begun a conversation when Ginny came walking down the hallway.

"Harry, she's finally asleep, but I don't know what we'll do when she wakes-- Oh, Ron, hi."

"Who? Aria? Shouldn't she be awake?"

"Yeah, um," Ginny stalled.

"She wasn't feeling too well this morning," Harry added.

"Oh. Her too, huh? Well, I guess I'm going to Mum's alone now." Ron began to stand up, knowing that he had overstayed his welcome. But he was stopped mid-stand as a little girl of about five, who was definitely not his niece, came running from the back of the house. She was in tears.

"Where's my mommy?" she wailed. Ron was confused. He looked from his sister to his brother-in-law, both of whom had looks of horror on their faces. Finally, Ginny sighed and went to the girl.

"She's sleeping, sweetheart." The girl sobbed. "Do you want to go see her?" She nodded and Ginny took her hand. As Ginny lead her to the guest room, Ron ignored Harry's pleas for him to stop and followed his sister. Ginny shot him a look that clearly told him to stay back, but he refused. But, once he reached the doorway, he froze.

Laying in the bed was the most beautiful woman Ron had ever seen. Her curly brown hair was disheveled and her face was pale, but Ron was mesmerized. She was on top of the covers and Ron could she that she was also pregnant. There was something oddly familiar about this woman. He watched the girl climb up into the bed and lay down next to her mother. Ginny turned toward Ron, the same look on her face as before. She walked away from the bed and grabbed his arm, trying to pull him away. But Ron stood firmly to the spot and then it hit him.

"Hermione?"

_END AUTHOR'S NOTE_ So I almost didn't include Teddy, but then I read a story and he was included. I mean, really, who is gonna raise him? Let's just pretend that he was with his grandmother for a bit, but then she decided he was too much to handle because she was getting old? :) So then Harry and Ginny adopted him.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

_AUTHOR'S NOTE This chapter is kind of short. Sorry. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know, I probably will not have Chapter Three up for another two weeks, instead of one. My fiance and I are moving into our first apartment this weekend coming up, and I still have a lot of stuff to pack and won't have a lot of time to write. Please just be patient with me. Anyways, I would really like to see a lot of reviews. I'll even take flames. One word is all I ask, just to let me know that all the hits I am receiving are actual readers and not someone just skimming. Thanks to those of you who have reviewed. Happy reading. :)_

_DISCLAIMER Harry Potter is not mine. It belongs to J.K. Rowling._

* * *

Hermione awoke to her daughter crying. She instinctively pulled her close and ran a hand over her curly hair. Then, she heard the yelling and immediately knew why Chloe was in tears. She closed her eyes herself, suppressing the memories of when her and Terry would fight. She wondered if Harry and Ginny were arguing about her. Hermione kissed Chloe on the forehead.

"Stay here, okay, sweetie?" Chloe nodded and Hermione got to her feet. She tiptoed down the hall where she was met with the voices of two very angry people.

"Why didn't you tell me she was here?"

"Because it was none of your business," Hermione heard Ginny retort. And then, for added effect, "_Ronald_." Hermione's heart dropped.

"Will you two be quiet?" Harry interjected. "You're going to wake her."

"Well," Ginny started, "maybe we should so she can see that she didn't leave much behind."

"Sweetheart, that's kind of harsh," Harry stated.

"Stay out of it, Harry." Hermione heard Ginny snap. "Anyways, for your information Ron, she got here less than a hour again. Excuse me for not flooing you immediately."

"You're forgiven," Ron replied in a smug voice. With this, Hermione took Chloe's hand, every intention of heading back to the room. But then, she heard Ginny speak again and stopped.

"And when she does wake up and is ready to see you and everyone else, be delicate."

"What for?" Hermione held her breath.

"Let's just say she has had a rough a couple of years."

"Rough couple of years?" Ron roared. "She left_ me_, heartbroken, to go off with someone else! And she's had it rough?"

"Just trust us, Ron," Harry began. "Cut her a little bit of slack." With this, Ron snorted and Hermione couldn't take anymore. She turned and went back to the guest room, heavy hearted, knowing that Ron had every right to feel the way he did.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Hermione sat in the middle of the bed, Chloe's head in her lap. She was running her fingers through her daughter's hair, trying to coax her into sleep. There was a soft knock at the door and a moment later, Ginny walked in.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi." The room was silent, and then Hermione added, "So, Ron's here."

"Oh, you, uh, heard us?" Hermione nodded. "Sorry about that. We tried to get him to stay away, but you know Ron."

"Not anymore," Hermione muttered.

"Oh, right." There was an uncomfortable silence. "Well, in any case, I had Harry escort him to the Burrow, with a promise not to say anything about you being here. I didn't think you'd want to see everyone just yet. However, he said that he would only keep quiet if he got to see you tonight."

Hermione thought about it for a moment. On one hand, she really wanted to see Ron. He was, after all, her first love. She wanted to apologize, for him to forgive her. She wanted what they once had back, but she knew it wasn't possible. She had mess up all those years ago, and she did not deserve him or his love any longer. She didn't know what to say to him.

"I don't know, Ginny," she finally said.

"Okay, no pressure. We'll make sure he doesn't say anything." Ginny crossed the room and sat down tentatively on the edge of the bed.

"He sounded pretty upset," Hermione said.

"How much did you hear?"

"I am assuming almost everything, up until the point where he said he was the one who had it rough." Hermione could feel the tears behind her eyelids, but she kept them there, trained already not to show how weak she really was.

"Hermione," Ginny whispered.

"No, it's fine. It's my fault, really. If I had never of left Ron, then Terry would have never had a chance to do this."

"Being a victim of abuse is not your fault, Hermione. You were in love with Terry and you had every right to be. He may have been a mistake, but you have a beautiful daughter and another child on the way." Hermione forced a smile. "Speaking of which, how far along are you?"

"Almost six months."

"You're so tiny, though." Hermione nodded. "When was the last time you went to the Healer?"

"Never," Hermione replied, and Ginny's jaw dropped. "I have been seeing a Muggle doctor. Terry and I haven't had anything to do with the Wizarding World for a long time."

"Oh. I see. Well, then, we need to get you checked in to St. Mungo's as soon as possible."

"I don't know if that is such a good idea, Ginny. I don't want too many people knowing I am back."

"Not a problem," Ginny replied. Hermione gave her a questioning look. "Healer Potter at your service." Ginny beamed.

"Ginny! That's wonderful! I didn't even know you wanted to practice medicine."

"I didn't at first, but then Harry and I went to the hospital one day to visit Neville, and everything just seemed to click."

Hermione smiled. "Ginny, I really appreciate this. I don't want to be a burden. I'll probably go to my parents' in the morning."

"Nonsense, Hermione. Besides, I know how badly things with your parents ended. How do you know they would forgive you now?" Hermione frowned. "You and Chloe can stay here as long as you need to. As long as you _want_ to." Ginny placed a hand over Hermione's. "It's just good to have you back."

* * *

Later that night, Hermione sat on Harry and Ginny's back porch, a cigarette held limply between her fingers. She brought it to her lips and then slowly blew the smoke through her lips. The wind was blowing softly, causing Hermione's brown hair to fall into her face. She smelled the rain. It had stormed earlier that afternoon, and she and Chloe had sat in front of the bedroom window, watching the lightning. The entire time, Hermione thought of Terry and wondered what his reaction had been when he discovered his wife was gone. She wondered if he all ready knew where she was.

"Those are bad for you, you know? Especially for the baby."

Hermione was so startled the cigarette fell from her hand. She recognized the voice immediately and was almost too scared to turn around.

"I know," she whispered, and she felt Ron sit next to her. "It's a bad habit. I've only had about four since I have been pregnant, though."

"It doesn't matter how many you've had. Even one is bad." Hermione nodded. There was silence between them for several minutes. The wind begin to pick up, signaling that another storm was on it's way. Yet, neither of them made a move. Hermione stared into the sky while Ron stared at her. He was searching for the right words to say. For so many years, he had dreamt of her returning. Now that she was here, right next to him, he was dumbfounded. "Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Why did you leave me?" His voice was barely audible. He sounded almost childlike. Hermione sucked in a breath. She wasn't ready for this. After a minute without an answer, Ron replied, "I mean--"

Hermione shook her head and finally looked at him. It was like she was seeing him for the first time all over again. He wasn't a grown man, he was the eleven year old on the train, that bit of dirt on his nose. She had the urge to reach up and rub the spot, even though there wasn't anything there now. He didn't look much different than he did when she left. Expect, she was disappointed in noticing, his skin glowed so much more. His hair was still shaggy and his eyes were bluer than ever. But he had a shine to him that Hermione had never seen before. She suddenly realized that, with her gone, Ron had been better off.

"I don't know, Ron," she finally replied, letting out a sigh. "I was angry. I was alone. You were always working. And then-- well, then, Terry Boot came along and swept me off my feet. The night I left, I tried talking to you. I had hoped you would talk me out of it. But, you just brushed me off. That was the breaking point, I guess. I'm sorry, Ron."

Ron looked as if he was thinking this over. "Then why are you back now? Where's Terry?" Harry and Ginny had kept their word. Ron didn't have a clue. She suddenly became conscious of the bruises on her arms. Instinctively, she pulled her sleeves down a little bit farther.

Hermione let out another sigh and then said, without the least bit of emotion, "He died. About a month ago." She was a bit surprised by how easily the lie come out of her mouth.

Ron nodded and then stood. "Well, maybe, now you will know how it feels to lose someone you love." With that, he turned and walked away.

"I already did," she choked. "I did a long time ago." And then her head fell into her hands and she began to sob.


End file.
